A heightened awareness of health has recently led people to demand better sanitary conditions for food and beverage than has heretofore been accepted. For example, insects and particulate matter with their inherent potential for carrying especially virulent, transmitted diseases are unwelcomed intrusions into conventional drinking glasses and cups. Today's public increasingly does not tolerate unclean conditions that were once commonplace.
Partially in response to this demand, beverage mugs and lidded beer steins are becoming popular again with the drinking public. These vessels hold large quantities of liquid making them ideally suited for picnics and parties at pools and backyards.
Unfortunately, the very fact that such beverage mugs and beer steins have a greater storage capacity causes a problem: liquid contained in them over a significant length of time tends to reach undesirable, ambient temperature, wherein cold items become warmer and hot items become cooler.
The present invention is a beverage mug that has many improved features, including a domed lid that traverses a wide rotative arc in excess of ninety degrees of rotation between the closed mouth position and the open position.
This wide angle of arc provides the advantage of keeping the lid out of the way during drinking, such that it will not interfere with the drinker's face.
Another improvement of this invention includes an insulative design that maintains the liquid at its proper temperature (hot or cold). The mug includes walls made from thermally insulative materials such as polyethylene and polystyrene. The walls of the mug can also comprise an internal hollow cavity to retard heat transfer through the walls. The internal cavity may contain air, styrene foam, urethane foam, or can be evacuated to provide a thermos effect.
The vessel of the beverage mug has a frustro-conical shape to provide stability against tipping over.
A thumb actuator in the form of an elliptical ball allows for ease of lid movement.